Derby Talk

Derby Talk is a forum for Pinewood Derby, Awana Grand Prix, Kub Kar Rally, Shape N Race Derby, Space Derby, Raingutter Regatta and other similar races where a child and an adult work together to create a race vehicle and a lot of fun and memories

Our Pack and District both award Best Design trophies based on Scout voting.

In the past, we've used ballots (where Scouts write the car # of their top 3 favorites) and the bead (not bean, this is Louisiana and we do everything carnival style) in a cup method (each Scout given 3 beads to drop in the dixie cup of his 3 favorite cars (can drop them all in one or distribute as he sees fit).

What I'm looking to do is speed up the process electronically somehow. I'm considering a text in to vote polling site, but that sort of takes the tactile enjoyment away from the Scouts. Anyone have an other ideas?

What would be really cool is a push button system that would tally votes for me (a simple wire stretched across the lineup with buttons wired in in front of each car), but that sounds really time consuming to design, build and program.

We have a District in the Erie council (no, it's not my District) that invites everyone who has raced to bring their car to the District race. It doesn't matter if you have won something for design or a race, everyone is invited to show their car. There are no awards at District level for the Design category. Our District was complaining they were losing money on the District race every year so 2 years ago I suggested we do not have a Design category at the District level. BIG mistake. Fortunately, 2 men who are active in the District race are police officers and they were able to keep order.